Judge blocks 'unmistakably religious' monument

Rules secular elements do not outweigh Christian, Jewish symbols

(Agence Presse-France) A federal judge on Monday blocked a construction of a monument in southern California, ruling it would be an “unmistakably religious” symbol on public property.

The Lake Elsinore City Council unanimously approved the construction of the polished black granite memorial last year, which would depict a soldier kneeling in prayer before a Christian cross. The City Council planned to build the monument at the entrance of the Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium, which is owned but not operated by the city.

The American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center filed a lawsuit over the monument in June, alleging it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.